Bag-type container and closure therefor



Feb. 28, 1950 F. LoBL BAG-TYPE CONTAINER AND cLosuRE THEREFOR Filed Sept. 13, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Feb. 28, 1950 BAG-TYPE CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Frederick Lobi, Middleboro, Mass. Application September 13, 1947, Serial No. 773,894

(ci. o-8) i 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in containers having oppositely disposed wall portions which are yieldable relatively toward and from each other and m'ore particularly to improved means for sealing a mouth opening in a said wall portion of such a container, which may be a hot Water bottle, for example, or an ice bag.

Containers of the general type to which the invention relates are disclosed in United States Letters Patent Nos. 2,171,730, 2,200,395, and 2,413,721, granted to me September 5, 1939, May 14, 1940, and January 7, 1947, respectively, over which my present invention provides improvements. In the said patented constructions Nos. 2,171,730 and 2,413,721, the closure element for sealing the mouth opening in one wall of the container is xed on the opposite wall generally opposite the mouth opening, so that the closure element can be projected into the mouth opening to seal the opening, or preparatory to sealing of the opening by roll-back of a ilexible annular portion of the closure means. Patent No. 2,200,395 discloses an exteriorly mounted plug for sealing a wall opening. In both of the said patented constructions Nos. 2,171,730 and 2,413,721, the fact that the closure means is xed to the wall opposite the mouth opening permits of no appreciable relative spreading apart of the container walls at the region of the mouth when the mouth is sealed, and pressure of contents of the container, when the container is subjected to pressure, tends to spread the wall portions apart at the sealed mouth region and `thereby tends to break the seal. While the seals in the patented constructions may be made secure against'forces and stresses of ordinary and normal usage, an extreme and abnormal internal pressure of contents might be suil'icient to actually spread apart the wall portions at the sealed mouth with consequent breaking of the seal.

It is an object of my present invention to provide a container of the mentioned general type wherein a closure means interiorly of the container may be projected outward to close and seal a mouth opening generally in the manner of the said patented constructions, but with interior pressures acting to augment the sealing rather than tending to break the seal. The closure means is on an intermediate member between the wall having the mouth opening and the rear wall opposite the mouth opening, being relatively loosely supported or arranged between the walls so that, when the closure means is sealed in the mouth opening, contents of the container can flow between the intermediate member and the rear wall of the container, with such interior pressure as there may be acting to hold the closure means in the mouth opening.

Another object is to provide a scalable container closure of the mentioned general description having a iianged mouth opening in a wall portion of the container and generally opposite another wall portion of the container, and a flap arranged between said wall portions with a plug thereon insertable in the mouth opening and sealable therein while leaving said wall portions free to spread relatively apart.

A further object is to provide a container having generally opposite wall portions relatively movable toward and from each other, of which one has a mouth opening therein, and having a plug-carrying iiap swingably secured between the wall portions and movable to project its plug into the mouth opening independently of any movement of the other wall portion.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve the structure and eiciency of containers having self-contained closure means for their mouth openings.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a hot water bottle embodying features of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the mouth open;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, on a larger scale, but with the front wall broken away;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. -6 is a view generally similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of plug closure.

Referring to the drawing, the walls l0, I2 of the illustrated hot water bottle may be of rubber or other suitable ilexible material with the mouth Iii opening through the wall l0 near one end of the bottle.

The mouth Ill, as shown, is surroundedby the eXteriorly projecting flange I6 which, preferably, has its interior surfaces tapering slightly and has a beaded lip 18. An annular rib or bead 20 extends around the mouth I4 interiorly of wall I0 for a purpose which presently will appear.

The closure plug 22 is arranged within the bottle and is adapted to be projected outwardly into the mouth opening I ll, it preferably having slightly tapering exterior surfaces for nicely tting the interior surfaces of the mouth, and having an annular tubular extension 24 of flexible stretchable material which projects outwardbeyond the lip I8 of mouth i4 when the plug is seated in the mouth. The outer end of tubular extension 24 preferably is beaded as at 26, and the extension is adapted to be rolled backward over the lip I8 to eifectively seal the mouth opening exteriorly of the bottle and to draw the plug tightly into the mouth with a consequent tight seating of the interior rib or bead 20 in an annular groove 28 around the base of plug 22,

thereby to effect an interior seal around the mouth. This sealing coaction between a closure plug and the walls of a mouth opening is disclosed in my said'Patentl'No. *2,413,721; fand f variations in the manner of-efiecting the seal orseals may be made as illustrated and described in my two said prior patents.

According to the present invention, thefclosure plug 22 is loosely mounted between the wallsnw, I2 so that it may be projected into mouth opening I4 while leaving the wall I2 free 'to 'spread away from the closure plug :thereby 1.to..provide free interior space at 30 between the plug and wall I2. This ensures that any interior pressure of contents of the bottle will act on plug 22 fin. a direction tending to hold it seated .in mouthI4 ratherthan tendingto break the seal and withdraw the' plug.

-As herein illustrated, theaclosure plug 22 isfon amember-EZ which may be a-disk 'of .rubber or the like havinga flap 34 thereon by means of which the disk 32 may'besuspended between the walls lI'D, yI2 for relatively free swinging movement ltoward and from wall I0, thereby to move the plug22 into and out of the mouth opening I4.

Infthe form of the invention shown in Figs. -1-4, a relatively longslit or slot 36 may be provided along the top edge' of the bottle through which the member32 and its plug 22 may be inserted, and the'edge portion of flap 34 of member '32 isclamped between the walls of the slit or slot and the surfaces 'vulcanized or cemented together, to close the slit lor slot`36 and to anchor the ap with the member 32 and'plug 22 loosely suspendedwithin the bottle,

'Fig 5 shows a modied form wherein a relatively'large opening 38 is providedin wall |'2gen erally opposite mouth I4, and the member .32 with its plug"22 may be inserted through the opening 38 `and the flap '3'4 be cemented or vuli canized interiorly of the upper edge portion of the bottle, after .which the opening 38 may be closed by the cover piece 40 which may be cemented or vulcanizedin place.

In the modified form of Fig. 6, the plug -42 is of fatype generally similar .to the plugs as disclosed inmy said Patent'Nol 2,171,730, .having the y.enlarged head portion 44 which is adapted to be forced throughiwall opening 46, .the annular peripheral .portion 11S-o the head being resilient so .that it can yield and .ultimately snap toits illustrated seated position exteriorl-yiof ythe bottle. YIt will be obvious that .this form of plug requiresino manual roll-back of a langefor the sealing, yet =the seal .is effective and secure with interior .pressures tending `to hold the .plug in the .wall opening as in the previously described forms.

It will .be obvious from the foregoing description, in conjunction with the drawing, that I have provided definite .and important improvements over thestructures disclosedin my said prior patents, in that pressure of contents .of ahot water bottle, or other comparable container, acts .to preserve and augment the sealing ratherfthan tending to break the seal andk withdraw-the :plug .from the mouth opening.

While I have shown the closureplug in suspended relation between the walls I0, I2, lit should be understood that it may beptherwise'heldfin operative position between the walls Il),v I2 without departing from the scope 'of the invention :as `ilened in the claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. A container having two generally oppositely disposed Wall portions movable relatively toward "ari'd'fromiaeaoh 'other, fone Tof 'said wall portions having'amouthppeningtherein, a member permanently supported between said wall portions said one wall portion while the other wall portion fcontinues free to spread relatively away .fromsaid member.

2. A container having two generally oppositely disposed wall portions movable relatively toward and from each other, .one of said wall portions having a ymouth openingth-erein, .a :nap m'ember .permanently mounted between said wall portions andfswingable generally toward and from each'of said'wall portions,rsaid ap member having a closure plugthereon movable with .the flap member .for `closing 'and opening said mouth opening, means on .the closure plug projecting exteriorly lbeyond. said .anouthwhen the 'mouth opening is lclosedfsaid fmeans being manually operable'exteriorly 'of'the container forfreleasably securing theiclosure plug in .the 'mouthi opening .of saidI one wall .portion while` .the other wall portion con tinues free to spread .relatively away -from said flap member.

A zcontainer .having twogenerally oppostely .disposed lwall .portions l'converging together. at an upper 4edge` regionof the :conta-incr, oneof said vwall portions having asmouth opening therein, said aedge region .having an edge opening therethrough,.1a .closure-.plug-carrying .member vadapted'ato be inserted .through said opening'to arposi- .tion between: said `.wall ,portions with its closure plugdisposed generally opposite-said mouth openingusaid memberhaving a flap thereonprojecting intosaid edge opening, and means sealing said edge opening. around the flap wherebyzsaid member andzclosure fplug aremovably suspended be- `tweenfsaidfwall .por-tions.

.-4. A .containerhaving twogenerally oppositely disposed wall .portions :movable 'relatively toward andffrom each `other,one` of .said wall portions having .a :mouth opening therein, a disk substantially-larger .in'cdiameter .than said mouth openingiarranged between saidfwalllportions and havingfalclosure'plug'thereonfadapted to seat in said mouth'opening,.saidfdisk having a flap'thereon by whichtit is looselyfsuspended ybetween said wall portions, whereby .the .closure `plug may be seated in `saidmouth openingin .said onewall portion with margin portions Eof :isaid disk 'seated interiorly-.against `an annular 'region of 'said one wall portionaroundthe said mouth opening.

FREDERICK LOBL.

.REFERENCES 'CITED "Th'efollowing references are 'of record in the le'l'of' this patent:

NITED STATES PATENTS Num'ber .Name Date "926,944 "Hope July 6, 1909 1153401236 Moehle May 18, 1920 .1,565,414 @Byrne Dec. V15, 1925 4;'5'88i8'47 .McGee June 15, 1926 1;822,1`90 '.Ziele Sept. 8, `1931 .2,'200;3'95 :Lobl May 14, 1940 2;2?15,392 Freeman Sept. 17, 1940 2,413,721 :.Lobl Jan. 7, 1947 

